


New Kid

by SignusOrion



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Comedy, Gen, Video Game Mechanics, awkward character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-19
Updated: 2017-03-19
Packaged: 2018-10-07 23:16:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10372035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SignusOrion/pseuds/SignusOrion
Summary: Haley is the first to see the new farmer, and has some things to say to Alex about it. As a result, Alex is not so keen on meeting the farmer himself.





	

Haley was the first to see him.

Stepping off the clunky old bus, he looked, as Haley claims, like he belonged on a farm. With his flannel shirt, stain on the collar, and his worn-out sack of a backpack, he fit right in with the dusty dirt path he was walking on.

Emily scoffs, shaking her head while Alex laughs. Now, Alex knows that's a bit harsh. He's pretty aware of the stereotypes too--that country hicks, like him and Haley, have inflated expectations of city folk, that they think everyone from the city looks like the actors on TV. However, he's known Haley since they were kids, and the great thing about her is that she speaks her mind, so he can appreciate her mean little quips. She'd probably say as such to the farm's new owner anyway.

"Ugh, why couldn't we get someone cool for once. Everyone in this town is weird," Haley says, puffing her cheeks out.

"Hey, what about me?" Alex says, pinching her cheek.

"You're weird too!" she shrieks, and then proceeds to smack him away.

\---

The new farmer finds Alex standing outside of Dusty's doghouse, and after a short silence, sidles up to him with a serious expression on his face.

"Hello. I'm Fred. I just moved in."

Alex takes one look at him, and realizes that he couldn't possibly be anyone else. Haley's description of him is so...fitting. There's the brownish stain on the infamous flannel shirt's collar. His thick-framed glasses give a sort of clunkiness to his appearance. They look like they haven't been cleaned in years.  There's even a spot of dirt on the other man's cheek, and more dirt caked under his nails. His speech as well--his voice isn't unpleasant, but the ups and downs of normal speech is absent from it, with strange pauses in the wrong places.

With a smile plastered on his face, Alex holds out his hand. "Hey, you're the new guy, huh?"

Fred grabs his hand and shakes it. When he lets go, Alex resists the urge to grimace and wipe his hand off on his pants.

"I think we're going to get along great," he continues, allowing a bit of sarcasm to slip into his tone. "I'm Alex."

The other man nods, standing there until Alex's grandma leaves the house. Without skipping a beat, Fred dashes up to her, almost making her drop her purse. Alex lunges forward to stop him, but Fred begins to introduce himself, in just the same manner that he did with Alex.

 _Oh, whatever_ , Alex thinks, standing there a little bit longer to watch his grandmother's slightly strained polite smile. The new farmer seems like a quiet guy, but then there's the perkiness with which he jumps to greet all the villagers. He blends right in with the rest of the villagers.

\---

"This is yours now."

A red tulip is thrust into his hands. Alex blinks at it.

"Thanks?"

"No problem," Fred replies, then walks away at his usual brisk pace. He always has places to go.

Alex stares down at the smooth petals of the flower. He likes tulips, but Fred kind of freaks him out. There must be something wrong with the flower somehow, some blemish imperceptible to the untrained eye.

He glances around at the empty neighborhood before shoving the flower into a nearby trashcan.

\---

When the farmer comes by again the next day, Alex does his best to avoid eye contact. He keeps his gaze directed to Dusty, who's preoccupied himself with digging up the front lawn.

"Alex," calls that awful monotone voice.

"Yeah?" Alex replies, wishing someone else, anyone else, could have caught this weirdo's attention instead.

"Here."

A red tulip is thrust into his hands. Alex blinks at it, almost flattered for a moment until he realizes that it's not as fresh as the one yesterday. Some of the petals have darkened with bruises. One of its dark green leaves has curled up.

"Oh, thanks..." Alex trails off, looking up at Fred. The reflection of light off the other's thick glasses obscures his eyes. He's not quite sure what face he's making under there.

"No problem," Fred replies, a strange pause in between his words. He turns and leaves.

This time, Alex hesitates before placing the flower into the trash.

\---

The day after that, Alex hides in his room. His grandma knocks on the bedroom door, nagging him about being a shut-in. He can never ignore her for very long, so finally, he emerges, agreeing to throw out the trash.

When he leaves the house, the sun is just beginning to set. Some of the clouds in the sky are tinged an orange-reddish color, and the streetlights have turned on. In the dim light, Alex feels a bit safer. He rounds the corner to the trash can...

...only to run into Fred. The other man stiffens, his mouth hanging open, and with good reason. Alex has just walked in on him acquainting himself with his trash can.

"What the hell?" Alex exclaims, dropping his trash bag.

Fred shushes him. Loudly. With one hand stuck in the trash can, Fred brings up his other to his lips, hissing for Alex to shut his mouth.

"No I'm not going to shut my mouth. What the hell are you doing, you creep?" Alex shouts, cracking his knuckles and storming over to the other man.

In the faint light, Alex can only just see Fred's eyes drifting off to the side. His hand slowly draws out from the trash, bringing out a rather sorry-looking tulip whose petals might have been a velvety-red once.

And then, as if that explained everything, Fred holds out the flower to Alex and says, "Here."

Alex takes a deep breath through his nostrils before releasing it through his mouth. "Do you really think I want something that's been sitting in the trash all day?"

Fred goes quiet, his arm still outstretched. There's a piece of plastic stuck to his shirt sleeve, which bothers Alex just staring at it. He drags a hand over his face, not knowing what else to say.

"Don't let me catch you doing this again. Next time, I'm going to call the police," Alex mutters, turning to pick up the bag he dropped.

"What else am I supposed to do?"

Alex whirls around. "What else are you suppo-"

He stops mid-sentence. Is it just him or is something running down the other man's cheek. Then, there's a long, wet-sounding sniffle from him. God, Fred even cries in a gross way.

"You bastard! Tulips take six days to grow, did you know that? I'm broke from buying the last batch of seeds, and I was going to sell this one for some money, but then I remembered you like tulips so I saved it for you, but then you go and toss it!"

"Wait, what?" Alex says. "You don't have to give me anything. Hell, if you're that broke, just go and sell it."

"No, you don't understand," and that voice of his, usually so flat, drags out that last syllable in a breathy wail. "You gotta give people gifts every day or they won't like you!"

"Where did you hear that from?" Alex says, and then it comes to him. "Wait, you want me to like you?"

Fred nods, head hanging down, wilted tulip at his side. He drags his free arm across his face, and Alex feels awful for thinking,  _Thank god he didn't use the arm that was in the trash_.

"Look," Alex says, grabbing the fallen trash bag and dragging it over to the trash can. "You don't need to give me anything to make me like you. I already do."

"Liar."

As Alex clamps the lid back over the can, he looks at Fred, taking in his accusatory glare.

"Okay, so maybe I don't," Alex mumbles. "But no offense, you're kind of weird, dude."

"Jeez," Fred says. "People at my old job said the same thing. What is that supposed to mean? What do I even do about that?"

"Well, for one thing, don't do illegal things like go through my trash."

There's a short snicker from the other man. It makes Alex smile despite himself.

"Go on?"

Alex taps his chin, thinking for a bit.

"For another thing, I'm going to introduce you to Haley-"

"I've already done that," Fred quickly says. "Introduced myself to her, that is."

"Of course you did, but I'm going to do it again for you so she'll actually want to talk to you afterwards," Alex says. "And maybe show you how to clean yourself up a bit."

There's another of Fred's rare laughs, and despite the slightly rancid smell emanating from both him and the trash can, Alex finds himself not minding it so much anymore.

**Author's Note:**

> In which everything is trash.  
> I'm so sorry.


End file.
